England and Belgium Face African Teams as USA Aims for Round of 16 in 2026 World Cup

The Round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup continues with England and Belgium hoping to avoid upsets against African opponents, while host nation the United States aims to reach the Round of 16 for the second consecutive time. England faces the Democratic Republic of Congo in Atlanta at 19:00. England, which missed the 1994 World Cup held in the US, returned strongly with a 4-2 win over Croatia but then struggled with a goalless draw against Ghana and a 2-0 win over Panama, advancing as group leaders despite inconsistent performances. Congo, making only its second World Cup appearance and first since changing its name from Zaire, has already exceeded expectations by drawing 1-1 with Portugal and beating Uzbekistan 3-1, gaining confidence from other African teams' successes. Belgium meets Senegal in Seattle at 23:00 in a closely matched contest. Senegal, the de facto African champions after a controversial final, advanced with a 5-0 win over Iraq despite losses to France and Norway. Belgium, once boasting a golden generation, now relies on aging stars Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, with only Jeremy Doku providing youthful energy, making their progression uncertain. The United States plays Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara at 03:00. The US impressed with wins over Paraguay (4-1) and Australia (2-0) but stumbled in a 3-2 loss to Turkey. Bosnia, which eliminated Italy to qualify and drew with host Canada, features veteran Edin Džeko and young scorer Armin Mašović, presenting a challenging but winnable match for the US. The hosts hope to leverage home support to secure victory and advance further in the tournament.